Roles of Host and Pathogen Mobility in Epidemic Outbreaks: Mathematical Modelling and Epidemiological Challenges

CASTILLO-CHAVEZ, C; APARICIO, JP; GIL, JF

BIOMAT 2011

BIOMAT

Año: 2012; p. 1 - 408

Finding and developing macroscopic descriptions for the dynamics of large ensembles of highly mobile host and/or pathogens subject to modern forms of dispersal poses tremendous challenges to researchers involved in the development and implementation of local and national public health policies in the presence of global, often unexpected, threats. Further, the dynamics of highly mobile host and/or pathogens also provides opportunities for the computational, modeling and mathematical communities to innovate by, for example, finding new ways of applying existing mathematical methods. Moreover, the importance of dissecting complex systems has generated new opportunities (mathematical challenges) whose solution has added or will add to the fields of applied and pure mathematics. Finally, the most recent advances in computation (hardware, software and theory) mean that today "we" are no longer tied in to the study of simple systems or the study of complex systems over limited "windows" in time and space. Today, we can apply the most recent advances in the computational sciences to solution of problems whose dynamics are driven by processes that take place over multiple temporal and spatial scales; systems that must account for the heterogeneity involved by its biological components. This presentation highlights some of these challenges in the context of the dynamics of other communicable diseases, particularly influenza. It is the hope that this presentation will motivate members of this community, particularly those who are new to the field of mathematical biology, to tackle these challenges through the study of systems that are of national or global importance.